


5 ways Shirabu praises Goshiki

by bokutos_official_simp



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5 Times, But not sexual, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Praise Kink, Slight Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:28:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28792464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokutos_official_simp/pseuds/bokutos_official_simp
Summary: Shirabu hated to admit it, but Tendou’s theory proved to be right; Goshiki succeeded better when having a goal set in mind: praise.
Relationships: Goshiki Tsutomu/Shirabu Kenjirou
Comments: 20
Kudos: 98





	1. Head Pats and Math Homework

**Author's Note:**

> Soft Shirabu part 1

—  
[1: head pats]

“Shira-boo~” Tendou called the setter over to his locker right before practice. When Shirabu went over—reluctantly, might he add—Tendou slung his arm around the setter’s shoulder. “How’s my favorite second year?”

“Wait until I tell Taichi you said that,” Shirabu deadpanned. 

“He hates me anyways,” Tendou said in a cheerful tone. “So, I have an idea. Goshiki seems to have a new obsession with you.”

Shirabu blinked at the comment. Did he? Shirabu hadn’t noticed. 

“So, you should use that power you hold to motivate him. Give him a little extra nudge.”

Shirabu pulled away from the grasp after a second. “What are you talking about? He’s not obsessed with me, Tendou-san.”

“Ha! Funny stuff, Kenjirou,” Tendou waved it off, “He’s always looking at you after he hits a good spike. I’m just saying, maybe praising him a little would help. Trust me, you’ll see a difference.”

The blocker is walking out the locker before Shirabu could even answer. He shook his head, his hair swaying with the movement. He scoffed and headed out the locker room too. 

Shirabu would normally watch the ball after a spike; it was instinct, he always wanted to be on his toes for the next play. But with Tendou’s words in mind, he started to watch Goshiki. 

It was a perfect set, followed by a perfect spike. Goshiki’s eyes lit up as it went unreceived, then he immediately looked over to Shirabu. Their eyes met for a second and Shirabu noticed Goshiki’s eyes were big like a puppy’s. His smile stretched from ear to ear as red dusted his cheeks. 

Shirabu blinked away his surprise, dropping his face before muttering a “nice kill” then moving on. He was all too aware that Tendou was watching him and sneering. 

—

Overall, Goshiki performed well during practice. Shirabu gave him one last set, which he hit with near perfection. 

Shirabu turned to him, noticing Goshiki quickly turned as well to get his praise; he had been getting compliments from the setter all day. Shirabu didn’t want to admit it, but he subconsciously started to test Tendou’s theory. 

He ignored their height difference—something that actually bothers him more than he likes to admit—and reached his hand to Goshiki’s head. 

Goshiki was clearly taken aback by the action because his face went neutral as Shirabu started to pat him. Then, his eyes went so wide that Shirabu was nearly concerned. 

“Nice kill.”

Just like that, he turned away and went to get dressed. Goshiki was shocked for a few more seconds before finally moving again. 

Yeah, Shirabu would be regretting that soon. 

—

Shirabu was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when he heard a knock at his door. He opened up to Goshiki. The spiker was fiddling with his fingers and smiled nervously at Shirabu. 

“What.”

“Can you help me with homework?” Goshiki pouted slightly. 

“I’m not even in your grade.”

“Pleaseeeee,” Goshiki put his hands together as if he was praying. “Please please please, you’re the smartest person I know. Pretty please with a cherry-“

“Alright!” Shirabu groaned. He moved out of the doorway. “Come in already.” 

Goshiki perked up and walked into the room. He sat at the desk while Shirabu took a spot on the bed. 

“What subject?” Shirabu asked after watching Goshiki dig through his messy bag. 

“Math! It’s really hard,” he frowned. 

“I’m sure a lot of things are hard for you,” Shirabu scoffed. 

“Mean,” Goshiki cried. 

“Stop being so loud.” 

Goshiki giggled at the coldness. He finally found his homework and they started. 

The equations really seemed to rack Goshiki’s brain; he kept getting them wrong, making him let out a frustrated groan everytime. 

When the black haired boy started pulling at his hair in irritation, scowling at another problem, Shirabu sighed. He leaned over and patted Goshiki’s head gently. 

“You don’t need to stress over it, Goshiki,” he said softly, “Here, I’ll go over it again.”

Even with the words, Goshiki seemed to calm down. After a few more fails, he got a question right and smiled happily. 

Shirabu couldn’t help but smile at the reaction, though it was brief. He patted Goshiki again and the boy’s smile widened. With every correct answer, Goshiki got a head pat or a “nice job” as praise. 

Shirabu hated to admit it, but Tendou’s theory proved to be right; Goshiki succeeded better when having a goal set in mind: praise. 

—

The strangest thing happened the following week. Shirabu was on the other side of the gym when he watched Goshiki make a nice line shot. Semi, the one who set it to him, gave him a head pat. 

Semi was always one to give praise, head pats, and compliments. In that sense, he was kind and gentle. But Goshiki didn’t have his usual reaction. Semi didn’t think much of it, but it bothered Shirabu. 

“Goshiki’s being a bit quiet day, hm?” Kawanishi asked from besides Shirabu. 

Shirabu turned to look at the blocker, though said blocker was staring off into space. 

“Yeah, it’s weird.”

“It’s because he only cares for your praise,” Kawanishi said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Semi’s head pats aren’t gonna get him fired up anymore.” 

Shirabu scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah? I bet he’d react differently if you go over right now and say ‘nice kill’.” Kawanishi nearly chuckled before taking a sip of his water. 

Shirabu furrowed his eyebrows at the boy who had yet to look at him. He grumbled something before watching Goshiki hit another spike. 

“I’ll take you up on that bet.”

“Loser buys the other dessert.”

Shirabu started to walk off, “You're way too cocky for someone who’s not Tendou’s favorite second year.”

“Wait—what?”

Shirabu got close to the court, eyeing the ball rather than Goshiki. When he hit the ball in a line shot again, Shirabu nodded. 

“Nice kill,” he—in sync with Semi and a few others—called. 

Goshiki looked over to Shirabu, just now realizing he was there. He beamed at him before returning to the game. Now aware that Shirabu was watching, he played extra well. 

Shirabu groaned as Kawanishi came up to him. 

“Ah, sweet desert.” 

The blocker snickered as Shirabu glared at him. 

“Tendou called me his favorite second year.” 

“You’re lying.”

“Ask him.”

“...”

Now Shirabu was the one to snicker. “Ah, sweet revenge.”


	2. Chocolate Ice Cream and Puppy Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirabu learns that Goshiki loves chocolate

[2: sweets and snacks]

The team’s second and third years usually ate together. Since Semi and Tendou took a liking to Goshiki, he was allowed to join them from time to time. 

Kawanishi looked smug as Shirabu placed a small cake in front of him. 

“Thank you, Shira-chan~” he teased. 

“I hate you.”

“Why did you buy him a cake?” Yamagata asked as Shirabu took a seat at the edge. 

“We had a bet,” Shirabu shrugged, “he won.”

Semi raised an eyebrow. “What was the bet?”

“Nothing,” they said in unison since Goshiki was sitting at the table as well. 

“Mm, suspicious,” Semi commented. 

After a quick meal, Kawanishi pushed the rest of his cake towards Goshiki. The spiker looked up with confusion, though that didn’t hide his excitement. 

“I saw you eyeing it,” Kawanishi chuckled. He stood up to leave, “Have it, I don’t even like chocolate.”

Shirabu snickered. “You didn’t say what flavor I had to buy.”

“You’re evil, Kenjirou,” Kawanishi smirked. 

Shirabu looked over to see Goshiki already eating the cake. He hummed happily while his eyes were closed, unaware of Shirabu and the others watching him. 

“Too adorable,” Tendou gawked and slumped against Ushijima dramatically. 

Semi laughed, seemingly agreeing with the blocker. Shirabu, too, agreed. Just silently. 

—

A few weeks later, Shirabu realized just how hard next year will be for the volleyball players. Without Ushijima, they couldn’t beat Datekou’s block during a practice match. 

Goshiki seemed to be in a slump after the game. Shirabu even gave him extra praise throughout it, but the future ace just pouted each time he was blocked. 

To be honest, Shirabu was just as upset. He just didn’t want to show it in front of—what he assumed would be—his starting lineup next year. It didn’t help that Futakuchi threw a sneer at Shirabu each time there was a block. 

“He’s so smug,” Kawanishi grumbled. He looked over at the scoreboard. “At least this is our last set.”

Shirabu nodded. His eyes stayed on Goshiki. The black haired boy was glaring at Kogane from across the net. 

“6:1. What a joke,” Shirabu agreed, “How did they manage to steal 6 sets from us?” 

“Dunno, but I’m ready to give them a 7th. I’m so tired.”

Shirabu hummed absentmindedly. He shifted his focus to the third years who were watching from the bench. So much for a powerhouse school. 

After the game, Kawanishi basically disappeared into thin air. The rest of the time left a little while later. It was only Shirabu and Goshiki left since the taller player insisted on helping him clean. 

“Thanks,” Shirabu tried to give him a smile, but he was simply too tired. 

“It’s the least I could do after being blocked so much,” Goshiki muttered in a pouty voice. 

“Datekou specializes in blocks,” he pointed out, “That’s all they're good at. Their ace will never be as powerful as ours.” 

Goshiki furrowed his eyebrows. “Duh, no one in the miyagi prefecture is as powerful as Ushijima-senpai.”

Shirabu smirked and looked over to him. “I was talking about you, Goshiki.” 

The setter could’ve sworn Goshiki’s eyes grew stars in them. He stared at Shirabu for a little too long before he started to fidget uncomfortably. 

“Stop staring,” he deadpanned. “And close your mouth.”

Goshiki turned red, not noticing he had his mouth agape. He shut it quickly and smiled. 

“Anyways, you worked hard today. No matter how much we got our asses handed to us, ‘kay?”

Goshiki nodded. 

“So…” Shirabu hesitated for a second. “How about..how about we go get ice cream as a reward?”

“Really?!” 

Shirabu jumped at how loud Goshiki suddenly got. He glared at his ace, who bowed down in apology. 

“Sorry! But are we really? Just the two of us?”

“Well, seeing that Taichi disappeared, I don’t see who else we’d bring. We can go after we clean up.”

Goshiki perked up after that. They finished cleaning in a few minutes. The taller boy bounced on the ball of his feet as he waited for Shirabu to lock up the gym. 

“You’re like a child,” Shirabu scoffed. Though, there was no anger in his voice. 

“Aww come on,” Goshiki fake whined, “Ice cream is the best treat!” 

Shirabu hummed as he finished up. They walked to a place not far from campus. Shirabu ordered a single strawberry scoop while Goshiki got a fudge chocolate double scoop. 

Goshiki lapped at the frozen treat happily when walking back home. It was getting a bit dark so Shirabu found himself walking even closer to him. 

The spiker seemed so into his snack that Shirabu allowed himself to stare at him for a bit. His cheeks had the slightest little blush marks as he licked the melting ice cream that dripped on the cone. Shirabu smiled at how silly he looked. 

“Feeling better?” He suddenly asked. He looked away before Goshiki could make their eyes meet. 

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You looked down today during the match. I guessed something sweet would cheer you up.”

After a few seconds of silence, Shirabu looked over with a questioning look. Goshiki’s eyes were teary as he looked down at the setter. 

“Hey don’t-“

“You did this for me?” He whimpered. 

“Don’t go thinking I actually care,” Shirabu kicked a rock in front of him. “Seriously, don’t make this deeper than it is—hey!”

Goshiki slung both his arms around Shirabu’s shoulders. Shirabu paused because of the sudden weight on him. 

“Get off!”

“You care about me!” 

“Lies and slander!”

“You’re gonna be the best captain ever!” 

“Stop, you’re gonna get me all sticky!”

“But senpai!” 

He was all talk, because Shirabu didn’t make much of an effort to get Goshiki off of him. He waited until the boy pulled himself off before continuing to walk. Goshiki went back to finishing his ice cream in no time. 

Shirabu dropped him off at his dorm. 

“Tell anyone about this, and it’s never happening again.”

“It’ll be our little secret!” Goshiki agreed before saluting him. 

Shirabu let out an exasperated sigh as he left. Goshiki waved at him until he was nothing but a dot, then went into his dorm. 

—

It became a normal thing for Shirabu to help Goshiki with his homework. At some point, he just started coming over so they could do work together. Only when he really needed help did he bother the setter. 

Shirabu looked up from his math work to see Goshiki pulling at his hair again. His face softened and he closed his book to go help. 

He placed a hand on the ace’s and pulled it away from his hair. “Stop that, you’re gonna go bald.”

Goshiki whined and face planted in his work. 

“What's the problem?” 

“Chemistry. Who decided to combine math and science?” 

Shirabu chuckled and sat down next to him. “Here, I’ll explain.” 

After a few minutes of explaining, Goshiki started to understand. Still, he got the problem wrong again and again. Shirabu patted his head to get his attention.

“Here’s an idea,” he decided. 

Goshiki looked up in question as Shirabu went over to his desk drawer. He pulled out a bag of candy and set it on the table where they were working. 

“Each problem you get right, you can have a piece.”

Goshiki eyed the candy before sighing and getting back to work. It was less than a minute when he asked Shirabu to check his work. 

Shirabu looked over it then nodded with satisfaction. He gave him an orange starburst. 

Goshiki ate it with a happy expression on his face. His eyes always seemed to close in bliss when he was enjoying food—mostly sweets.

And Shirabu found it terribly adorable. 

An hour later, when they finished all their work, Goshiki gave Shirabu the best puppy eyes he could manage. 

“What?” Shirabu narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

“Did I do good?” He asked, pointing his fingers together in the signature ‘shy hands’. 

Shirabu let a soft smile grow on his face and he reached over to ruffle Goshiki’s hair. “You did great today.” 

Shirabu almost called him a puppy by the way he leaned into the touch and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to update yesterday but forgot to💔 so I’ll be posting the next chapter later on today as well!


	3. Hugs and the Rivalry With Seijoh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Goshiki I-what are you doing?” 
> 
> Goshiki latched onto him like a koala bear, resting his head on Shirabu’s chest. 
> 
> “I wanted a hug.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I forgot I was posting this😀✋anyways

[3: hugs and cuddles]

Goshiki tilted his head in confusion. He sat on the floor of Shirabu’s new dorm. The setter sat on his bed, legs crossed as he looked down at his ace. 

“You don’t want me to call you Senpai anymore?”

“Nope,” Shirabu shrugged. “You’re a second year now. Plus, we’re..close, I guess. You can even drop the ‘san’ at this point.” 

Goshiki frowned as he wrapped his head around it. “...Can I call you by your given name?”

“Watch it.” 

The black haired boy laughed nervously, “Aha… gomen.” 

Shirabu waited for Goshiki to turn around before cracking a gentle smile. 

April had just begun and so had a new school year. The third years were gone. The thought made Shirabu’s chest right. And as it is every year, the former second years moved to the third year dorms. 

It felt good to finally be a third year—and now captain of shiratorizawa’s volleyball team. The #1 jersey just felt right to Shirabu; though he couldn’t lie, part of him wanted to request to wear #3 in honor of Semi. 

“Shirabu?”

He snapped out of his thoughts and saw Goshiki staring at him with a concerned look. 

“Hm?”

“You look...really sad, I guess.”

Shirabu smiled sadly. “Just thinking of the third years.” He sighed and didn’t bother correcting himself; technically he couldn’t call them that anymore. 

Goshiki gave him a sympathetic look before nodding. Then he looked away. “...Do you think we’ll ever be like Ushijima-san and Semi-san?” 

Shirabu stiffen. He stood up and went to sit next to Goshiki, leaning his head against the ace’s shoulder. 

“We’ll never be copies, but we can be just as good.” 

—

Kindaichi Yūtarō: Seijoh second year, middle blocker, jersey number 6. 

It seemed every middle blocker had a thing against Goshiki. Being Ushijima’s legacy might’ve been the reason he was targeted so often, if Shirabu had to guess. 

After a practice match with Seijoh—which Shiratorizawa narrowly won—Goshiki looked crushed. Shirabu could tell he was replaying each rally in his head. He was gonna drive himself insane if he didn’t stop thinking about it. 

“He realizes we won, right?” Kawanishi whispered in Shirabu’s ear. 

Shirabu looked over to his vice captain. He sighed heavily. “That #6 was ruthless. Goshiki is probably beating himself up over the whole thing.” 

Kawanishi hummed his understanding. He then walked off since there was nothing left to do about it. 

Shirabu bit his lip nervously before walking over to where Goshiki sat on the bench. He sat down silently as he let himself sink into thought. 

“I couldn't do it.”

Shirabu snapped his head towards him. 

“Do what?”

“I couldn’t..I couldn’t beat him. I wasn’t unstoppable.”

Shirabu softened and turned to face him. “No one is unstoppable, Goshiki.”

“Ushijima was.”

“Not even he could win a game 25-0.”

“I barely got any points.”

“We won in the end.”

“No,” Goshiki’s vice cracked. “That’s not the point. Why, why do I wear the #4 jersey? Hm? I can’t even call myself the ace.”

Shirabu let silence engulf them for a few seconds. 

“I wear the #1 just like Ushijima did, but do you think I’m half as good? Do you think I size up to Semi or any other setter that came before me? No.”

The setter took Goshiki’s face with cupped hands, forcing him to look at his captain. 

“Goshiki listen to me; we don’t live life trying to replace the ones who came before us. We make our own legacy—our own goals to reach. And in my eyes, you’re the best ace I could ask for.”

Goshiki visibly relaxed as he melted into the touch. He tried to blink away his tears but Shirabu could already see them. 

“We won, Goshiki. Celebrate.”

That was the final straw. Goshiki whimpered as the tears started to fall freely. He pulled out of Shirabu’s grasp and went in for a hug.

It took the setter a few seconds to register what was happening; but by then, Goshiki had already lifted him off the ground, standing up and supporting both their weight. 

“You’re such a brute,” Shirabu groaned. 

Goshiki giggled. He spun them one time before letting Shirabu down. 

“Guys,” Akakura waved at them from across the gym. “The bus is leaving soon!”

Shirabu nodded at the libero, dismissing him quickly. When he looked back, Goshiki was wiping his tears. He beamed at his captain before taking his hand and leading them out of Seijoh’s gym. And Shirabu didn’t pull away. 

—

“Shirabu!”

Shirabu all but fell out of his bed from the surprise. He let out a groan as he hit the top of his bed. 

“Goshiki, do you ever knock?”

Goshiki giggled as he let himself in. At least he closed the door this time. 

“Look!” The ace ignored the question and shoved a paper in Shirabu’s face. “I got a B on my math test! All thanks to you!” 

Shirabu rolled his eyes with a smile and sat up in bed. “That’s great, but this could’ve waited until practice.” 

Goshiki whined. He set the paper down at the desk and crawled into bed with his captain. 

“Goshiki I-what are you doing?” 

Goshiki latched onto him like a koala bear, resting his head on Shirabu’s chest. 

“I wanted a hug.”

Shirabu sighed and gave in. He started patting Goshiki’s head, pushing his bangs past his forehead then letting them fall back into place. 

“Say, Goshiki?”

“Hm?” From the sound of it, the ace started dozing off due to the gentle affection. 

“Why do you have a bowl cut? No offense.”

Goshiki shifted a bit until Shirabu lied on his back. 

“Hm..” Goshiki thought for a second. Or rather, he debated whether to tell the truth or not. “When I was a kid, I used to pull out my hair because of my anxiety. My parents thought cutting it into a bowl cut would be best.” He chuckled lowly. “I still pull at it, but at least it’s not as bad.” 

Shirabu knew Goshiki couldn’t see his reaction, but he still turned his face away from the ace. He witnessed one of Goshiki’s many anxiety-filled moments—usually while studying or before taking a test. Shirabu was genuinely worried about him. 

“So, why do you cut your hair like that?” Goshiki shot back after a bit of silence. 

Shirabu let out a laugh. “I cut my bangs like this because I like looking different.” 

Goshiki giggled again and shoved his face closer to Shirabu. “You smell nice.”

“You’re so random.” 

“I’m just calling it as I see it!” 

Shirabu snorted at his reasoning. They fell into comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Shirabu realized Goshiki had fallen asleep against him. His breathing was slowed and for the first time, Shirabu saw him relaxed. 

Shirabu knew what this all was: another form of praise. Goshiki craved physical contact all the time, following the setter around like a lost puppy in hopes of getting a head pat. If he’s lucky, Shirabu will let himself be attacked by a hug. 

“Good job on the test,” he whispered.

—

It wasn’t until the alarm for practice went off did Shirabu realize he also fell asleep. Goshiki whined at the noise, protesting softly. 

Shirabu rolled his eyes and tried to push the taller boy off. 

“Get up, idiot,” he growled. “Time for practice.”

Goshiki unwrapped his arms from Shirabu’s waist—when did they get there?—and sat up to stretch. Shirabu pulled himself out of bed and they yawned at the same time. 

“Sorry,” Goshiki pouted as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Me and you both,” Shirabu scoffed. 

And when Goshiki followed him back to the dorms after practice, he didn’t stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t read over this really, sorry for the mistakes


	4. Oversized hoodies and stolen homework

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh and by the way—“
> 
> Shirabu looked at him with a question. 
> 
> “Rethink how to feel about Goshiki. Because it’s more than platonic, I’ll tell you that much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I’m sorry this update is so late😔✋I just lost motivation for this fic. Also I didnt like how I had written the final chapter so I gave up lol 
> 
> Enjoy this mini chapter <3

[3.5: affection]

Shirabu wasn’t exactly short—and he was plenty intimidating despite his height—but standing next to Goshiki annoyed him. 

Unlike his captain, Goshiki never stopped growing. Between his first and second year, he gained a solid inch plus put on some weight. 

“I’m putting on weight from the muscles,” Goshiki protested when Shirabu pointed it out. 

“Or from all the sweets you eat,” Shirabu shot back with a scoff. 

“You’re the one who keeps feeding them to me!”

“So you admit it’s the sweets?”

Goshiki pouted. He poked Shirabu’s side, trying to poke his bones. 

“Ow-! Hey, quit that!” Shirabu slapped his hand away. 

“You’re losing weight,” he snickered. 

Shirabu glared at him until he went completely quiet. 

He turned back around to finish folding Goshiki’s clothes for him. The ace lived messily, which Shirabu couldn’t stand. But he insisted on Shirabu coming over to his dorm for once. 

Shirabu picked up one of his jackets, irritated how he couldn’t even stretch it out to full length. 

“Why is this jacket so big?” He complained. 

Goshiki giggled and took it from him. The setter wasn’t surprised to see him not fold it (he’s not sure Goshiki even knows how to). Instead, he held it up to Shirabu for comparison. 

“This would fit you like a dress on you!” He laughed. 

It took everything in him not to tackle Goshiki right then and there. He decided staying silent was the best option. 

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Goshiki giggled, “Just put it on? Pleasee?” 

The ace smiled because he knew damn well those puppy eyes would get to Shirabu. 

Without a word, Shirabu took off his own hoodie reluctantly. Goshiki started to clap happily but a glare thrown his way silenced him. 

As expected, the hoodie covered Shirabu’s gym shorts plus some of his exposed thighs. The sleeves swallowed his hands too. 

“You look…” Goshiki grew flustered. “Uh..cute?”

Shirabu cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a question?” 

“I mean—not like a girly cute, more just like- uh, you know if-“ he tripped over his words, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Cute…”

Shirabu stared at him for a second before cracking a smile. He giggled at how ridiculous Goshiki was being over a simple word. The sound made Goshiki blush even more. The tips of his ears were completely red. 

After a while, Shirabu waved it off and went to sit on the bed. Goshiki joined him, his face still warm. He touched their knees together and felt his heart race when Shirabu didn’t move away. 

“You really are just a gentle giant,” the setter commented. His eyes flicked to their touching knees. 

“I’m not a giant, you’re just short,” he joked. He looked a bit nervous since he never really teased his captain, but brightened when Shirabu only laughed. 

It wasn’t long before they found themselves cuddling like they usually do. This time, Shirabu had his head on the ace’s chest. Long fingers ran through his caramel hair and put him at ease. 

But at the back of his head, he knew it was a bit too affectionate—at least for someone he only called a friend. 

—

Kawanishi’s eyes traveled down Shirabu’s small body. The setter was still wearing Goshiki’s oversized hoodie even though it had been a week. It covered the shorts that he slept in. 

“Whose hoodie is that,” the blocker asked as he forced his way into Shirabu’s dorm. 

“Oh please, come in,” he said bitterly. “And it's Goshiki’s. Who else is this big?” 

Kawanishi shrugged. “Futakuchi from Dateko? Kindaichi from Seijoh.”

The setter rolled his eyes. “Ah yes, my arch enemies. A captain, no less.” 

“In my defense, I didn’t realize you have a thing for Goshiki.” 

“Wha—I don’t.” 

Kawanishi cocked an eyebrow. “You two walk to class together, you’re always in each other’s room—wow he’s not here that’s a surprise—and I’ve never seen you hug your own mother yet you let him hug you all the time.”

Shirabu narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t met my mother.” 

“I hate you.”

“Goshiki is just overly affectionate, that’s all,” he waved it off. 

“And you’re Shirabu Kenjirou. It doesn’t add up.” 

“Why are you here Taichi?” 

“English homework,” he seemingly let go of the topic, “Imma just copy it, so don’t worry.”

Shirabu groaned as he watched his friend dig through his bag. He found the paper he was looking for, then headed for the door. 

“I’ll give it back tomorrow at practice,” he said nonchalantly, as if he didn’t just steal. “Oh and by the way—“

Shirabu looked at him with a question. 

“Rethink how to feel about Goshiki. Because it’s more than platonic, I’ll tell you that much.”

The door was closed before Shirabu could even register the words. He blinked away the surprise. Stolen homework forgotten, he sat down and did just as Kawanishi said: he thought about his feelings for the younger boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so much unposted stuff in my google docs lol


	5. Not exactly platonic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The silence was so loud before Shirabu finally spoke up. 
> 
> “I like you a lot.”
> 
> No response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another short one to feed your shiragoshi needs✨

[4: forehead kisses]

“It smells like you now,” Goshiki beamed as he took a whiff of his returned hoodie. 

“Don’t be all weird about it,” Shirabu grumbled. Though, secretly, he only gave it back because it no longer smelled like the ace. 

Goshiki frowned, hugging the hoodie to his chest. “I’m not!”

Shirabu scoffed, looking away so he couldn’t see his slight blush. He went to sit down at Goshiki’s desk. “Are too.”

Their childish argument went on for no longer than a minute and they eventually settled down to do work. 

Shirabu kept stealing glances at Goshiki; he smiled when the black haired boy did this cute thing where he stuck out his tongue when doing a particularly hard problem. And when Goshiki started to pull at his hair, Shirabu would toss an eraser at him to bring him back. 

“Mean!” He whined each time; yet, he threw the eraser back so Shirabu could do it again. 

And when Goshiki needed help, he’d look over at Shirabu until the setter noticed. One time when he looked over, Goshiki noticed Shirabu already looking. He tilted his head, making Shirabu aware that he’d been caught. The setter’s face was red by the time he finished his essay. 

Kawanishi’s words didn’t ring in his head anymore; he knew exactly how he felt about Goshiki. No reason to keep denying the truth. He was utterly in love with the less-than-genius boy. 

So much so that he’d take any chance to look at him. So much that he didn’t pull away from his hugs. So much that he looked forward to their weekly ice cream trips. He looked forward to those days Goshiki would show him his test results, beaming every time he got an A or B. When he’s not around, Goshiki clouded his thoughts more than he’d like to admit. 

“I hate this,” Goshiki suddenly whined, successfully bringing Shirabu out of his mushy thoughts. “Why is second year so much harder than the rest?”

Shirabu smiled gently. He abandoned his own work and joined the tall boy. Goshiki looked over with huge eyes. 

“I don’t have to do this, do I?” 

“Yes,” the setter deadpanned. “If you keep complaining, it’ll just take longer.”

But when he gave the ace a glance over, he grew worried. He looked tired and his hair was messier than usual (though it’s never really messy). Stray hairs look odd on him in Shirabu’s opinion. He tried to smooth the black hair and Goshiki leaned into the touch. 

“Take a break,” he said softly. “You look burned out.” 

Goshiki groaned softly. “I’m so exhausted. Everything is getting harder and I can barely do my homework without help, let alone keep up in class.”

Shirabu shushed him before he could go into a spiral. Brushing his bangs back, Shirabu put their forehead together. “It’ll be alright, okay? Let’s take a break. You deserve one.” 

His gentle voice seemed to do the trick as Goshiki nodded slowly. “Okay...yeah, okay.” 

“You’re doing great,” he whispered then planted a kiss on Goshiki’s forehead. He let the hair fall back into place. 

Ignoring the blush that covered the younger boy’s face, Shirabu got up and went to his school bag. He fished out a bag of chips, waving it around. 

“Snack break?” 

—

“You did great today,” Shirabu told Goshiki as they returned to the setter’s dorm. “Karasuno looked panicked! I bet we can beat them this year.”

“I hope so!” Goshiki closed the door behind him. “It’s your last year, we have to make it to nationals.”

Shirabu climbed into bed, patting beside him for the ace to join. “Don’t stress yourself because this is my final year. I couldn’t care less if we go.”

“What about professional teams?” 

Shirabu allowed himself to be pushed down on his back. Goshiki rested his head on the other’s chest, looking up with big eyes. 

Shirabu scoffed—amused—and started to play with the black hair. “I’m not going professional. I’m going to med school after this.”

“Wha? You’re not?!” 

“..you sound surprised.”

“Because I am!” Goshiki shot up into a sitting position. “You’re such a talented setter, it’ll be a waste to just go into medicine.”

Shirabu shrugged. “My goal was to play with Ushijima. I did that already. Now it’s time to move on; at least for me it is.”

Goshiki deflated now that he knew his closest friend wasn’t going to be by his side after this year. He lied back down, letting Shirabu play with his hair again. 

“Don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting!”

“We had a good practice today,” Shirabu brought up again. 

Goshiki nodded against his chest. 

Shirabu didn’t say much more. He just leaned down and kissed Goshiki’s forehead. Both their faces went red and it went silent. 

After the longest minute ever, Goshiki sat up and moved away. He went to the edge of the bed, making sure Shirabu couldn’t see his face. 

“Goshiki..?” 

The setter felt his heart drop. Did he do something wrong? Was Goshiki upset with him? 

“Goshiki, what's the mat—?” 

“What are we?”

Both of them froze at the question. Shirabu swallowed and sat up as well. From behind, he wrapped his arms around Goshiki’s waist and set his head on the ace’s shoulder. 

The silence was so loud before Shirabu finally spoke up. 

“I like you a lot.”

No response. 

“I like you a lot, so much that it makes my head pound. So much that just hearing your name makes my heart beat faster—and my face gets all red when you smile at me. And I don’t think any of that is very platonic.”

He tried to laugh but his voice cracked midway. He wondered if Goshiki would feel the heart pounding against his back, or notice how Shirabu’s hands were searching for his. Would he feel if Shirabu pressed his face into his shoulder and cried? Swallowing a lump in his throat, Shirabu started to move away. 

“I like you too, Shira…”

After a few seconds of looking at each other, they broke into laughter. This time, Shirabu was the one to push Goshiki down and lay on his chest. Goshiki’s hands went to play with the brown hair as giggles escaped them both. 

“So…”

“So?”

“Can I call you by your given name?”

Shirabu scoffed and pressed closer to his chest. “...only if i can call you my boyfriend.” 

“Deal.”

—

[Extra]

“Called it,” Kawanishi yawned. 

2 weeks after confessing, the two held hands as they walked to class. 

“Don’t act all smug,” Shirabu snapped, “I barely tried to hide it.”

“You didn’t even know you liked him until I said something.”

“I despise you.”

“Thank you captain, so inspiring.” 

“15 laps today.”

“Shiver me timbers.”

“Taichi, I will smack you.” 

“How romantic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter next!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He planted a million kisses on his taller boyfriend before laughing out a “Congrats.”
> 
> And an “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter I wanted to redo but I decided it’s decent as it is :D please enjoy the final chapter <3

[5: I love yous]

Goshiki stared at the jersey. The same number as last year, expect now there was a line under it. He should’ve felt happy—being promoted to captain and all—but he only felt the pit in his stomach. His eyes swell up with tears. 

“They're gone..” he whispered into the empty room. “The third years are actually gone.”

There was a knock at the door so he quickly whipped his tears and went to answer it. He was surprised to see his ex-setter, ex-captain, and current boyfriend—all wrapped into one person—standing there. 

Shirabu had a smug smile on his face and pushed his boyfriend aside. “So, I heard you’re captain?” He looked down at the jersey sitting on the bed. “Congrats. I’m proud of you, Tsutomu.” 

Goshiki felt his face flare up. He noticed his boyfriend was wearing his hoodie, which was still way too big for him. By now, it should smell like the ex-player rather than the owner. 

“Tsutomu?” Shirabu called when he didn’t get a response. 

Goshiki blinked before finally moving over to the shorter boy. “Kenjirou, I-“ he looked him up and down. “What are you doing here?”

“Hm?” Shirabu played dumb. “Oh, I didn’t tell you I was coming did I? Must’ve slipped my mind.” He shrugged. 

He went to give his boyfriend a hug, which was happily reciprocated. Goshiki even lifted him off the ground. 

“You came all the way from Sendai. Why?”

“To see you silly,” he rolled his eyes as he was placed down. “I couldn’t miss seeing you after your first day. How was it?”

Goshiki felt tears prick his eyes again. Shirabu gave him a deadpan expression. 

“Don’t start feeling guilty, dumbass. It’s only an hour drive, I didn’t go out of my way to be here.” 

Goshiki engulfed him in another hug. This time, he managed to drop both of them onto the bed. Shirabu tried to push him away (“tried” is a strong word. He gently pushed him knowing damn well he wouldn’t budge). 

They moved around until Goshiki could rest his head on the college student’s chest. He nuzzled it, taking in the smell of his partner. 

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

[1] He gave him a head pat, pushing his bangs out of the way. 

“We should go get ice cream after this.” [2] 

“Mhm,” Goshiki agreed. 

[3] Shirabu hugged him tightly with one arm until he squeaked. [4] He gave his forehead a quick kiss. 

[5] “I love you. You deserve the world, Tsutomu.” 

—

When Goshiki graduated, Shirabu jumped into his arms for the first time. He planted a million kisses on his taller boyfriend before laughing out a “Congrats.”

And an “I love you.”

—

Shirabu was always a cat person. When Goshiki moved to Sendai with him and bought him a black cat named Berry, Shirabu leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. 

“I love you.”

—

Being pre-med was the most stressful thing ever. On top of that, Shirabu barely saw his boyfriend since he traveled so much for volleyball. 

One late night, Shirabu walked into their shared apartment and let out a whine. He face planted on the kitchen table and sat there. Then the light turned on and there Goshiki was with a big smile on his face. 

“We had to cut this trip short,” he explained and slung his body onto his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Welcome home ‘Jirou.”

Shirabu laughed gently and let himself be crushed. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Tsu.”

—

Graduating took forever, but he finally did it. Goshiki spun around with his boyfriend in his arms, giving in sloppy kisses as Shirabu tried to get away. 

“Save me!” He called out to his ex-teammates. 

“Feeling awfully single right now,” Ōhira said loudly, making Semi and Yamagata laugh. 

“Tsutomu, you’ll crush him!” Tendou called out with a giggle. 

“He seems to be secretly enjoying it.”

“Wakatoshi-kun, he is~” 

“Clearly.”

Shirabu flipped Kawanishi off. The former blocker raised his hands defensively. “I was the only one not to say anything!” 

“You look smug.”

Goshiki finally placed him down. 

“Because I was lowkey the one to bring y’all together. I don’t even get a thank you.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’m sorry, Kenjirou, but I don’t think your boyfriend would approve.” 

“I hate you!”

“Love you too.”

Shirabu groaned and turned to put his face in Goshiki’s chest. 

“Hey,” Goshiki whispered as he wrapped his arms around him again. 

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Shirabu felt his face heat up despite knowing the others couldn’t hear. “I love you...more.” 

Goshiki gasped. “Impossible!”

—

Shirabu felt tears prick his eyes. “I love you.”

“...is that a yes?” Goshiki looked up from where he was kneeling. 

“Yes, idiot,” Shirabu laughed. “I’ll marry you. I love you so much.”

Goshiki waited for Shirabu to leap into his arms—somehow he still managed to fall to the ground—and tighten into a hug. 

“I love you, too, Kenjirou. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

—

“A dress?” Shirabu raised an eyebrow. 

“Won’t you be my bride?”

“I’m your groom, stupid!” 

“I know but still!”

“You're an idiot.”

“Your idiot?” Goshiki gave him a pair of puppy eyes. 

Shirabu scoffed. He stopped what he was doing and gave Goshiki a kiss on the cheek. “Yes. My idiot. Love you, idiot.”

“Noo,” Goshiki whined. “You didn’t say the ‘I’!” 

Shirabu rolled his eyes; Goshiki was always like that. “I love you.”

“I love you too!” 

—

“I do,” Shirabu answered. 

“You may now kiss your groom.”

The first kiss as a married couple was different somehow; more special, more heart warming. The two of them could do their “firsts” again as a married couple. 

“I love you, Goshiki Tsutomu.”

“I love you too, Shirabu Kenjirou.” 

—

“Adoption?” 

Goshiki nodded vigorously. “I’ve always wanted to! Even if I ended up with a woman, I still wanted to adopt! Runs in my blood, ya know?”

Shirabu sipped on his coffee. “Mm, I expected that. You know what it’s like to be adopted. The feeling of being chosen.”

Goshiki looked at Shirabu with so much love that the doctor had to laugh. “You get it.”

“Of course I do. And I think we should too. Adopt, that is.”

“Really?!”

“All these years and you still act like an excited little kouhai I agreed to bring along to a party.”

Goshiki whined in protest but Shirabu was already walking out the door. “Love you!”

“You didn’t add—“

“I love you, dear husband.”

Goshiki smiled at Shirabu’s tired yet happy look. “I love you too. Don’t work too hard.”

“Impossible.”

—

It’s the small moments—the insignificant ones—where I love yous mean the most. 

Lying down, watching the stars while under a blanket. The cat was in Shirabu’s lap while their adopted daughter was in Goshiki’s. Shirabu leaned against his husband with a satisfied sigh. 

“I love you, Tsu.”

Goshiki kissed the top of his head. “I love you too.”

—

Goshiki no longer pulled at his hair when he was anxious, and Shirabu no longer pulled away when people hugged him. They changed each other and for the better. And if anything were to separate them, Shirabu knew what his last words to Goshiki would be. 

“Good job. You deserved it all. I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write 
> 
> Now I’m torn which shirabu ship I should write in my upcoming text fic🥲

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, Shirabu ships just live in my head rent free


End file.
